Dirt-loader.



W. R. LITZENBERG. DIRT LGADER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.17, 1911.

1,018,672. Patented Feb. 27, 1912 COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH CDuWASHINGT oooooc.

r r 7 larger quantity of earth and thus load the UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

WILLIAM R. LITZENBERG, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

DIRT-LOADEB.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM R. LITZEN- BERG, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city of Portland, county of Multnomah, and Stateof Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDirtLoaders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to dirt loaders, and more particularly to a dirtloader of simplified and improved construct-ion, adapted to be hitchedto and moved along behind a wagon or other dirt hauling vehicle, overearth which has been loosened up, as with a plow or otherwise, for thepurpose of scraping up the earth and transferring it into the wagon orother vehicle as they move along together.

Among the salient objects of my invention are,to provide a simplifiedand comparatively inexpensive dirt loader of the character referred towhich is self-operating as it is drawn or moved along behind a wagon orother vehicle for the purpose of scraping up the dirt and carrying it upinto said wagon or vehicle; to provide such a dirt loader adapted to behitched successively behind different wagons used in hauling away thedirt and drawn along therewith, in most cases, with the same horse powerthat is used to haul the wagon in which the dirt is carried away; toprovide in such a loader a construction in which additional horses canbe hitched behind said loader, if desired, as when it is desired toscrape up a wagons in a much less time, said horses being hitched so asto walk forwardly behind the loader which they are pushing, or to whichone or more horses can be hitched to move the loader from place toplace; to provide in connection with such a loader a roller to precedethe scraper for the purpose of mashing and leveling the dirt before thescraper moves under it, thereby making more uniform and efiective theoperation of the loader, and also serving to prevent large rocks orother objects from moving into the scraper and binding the elevatormechanism; and, in general, to provide an improved, simplified andpractical dirt loader of the character referred to which can be used toload wagons or other dirt-hauling vehicles with the least amount ofpower and with the fewest possible men.

I am' aware that loaders of various kinds Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed March 17, 1911.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

Serial No. 615,135.

have been made, but all those with which I am familiar are very large,heavy machines requiring manual operation and much horse power tooperate them.

My invention has for its principal object to produce a very simple,inexpensive and practical loader adapted to be drawn along behind awagon and scrape up a layer of loose earth, leveled and rolled together,and carry it up into the wagon as it moves along over the dirt which hasbeen previously plowed or loosened.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whioh,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a loader embodying my invention; Fig. 2is a front view of the same, from line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with parts brokenaway; and Fig. 3 is a rear view partly in section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, l1 designates a pair of traction wheelscarrying a main or carrying axle 2, adapted to be locked to turn withthe wheels by means of clutch mechanisms 33 as the machine or loader ismoving forwardly, but adapted to remain stationary as the machine isdrawn rearwardly, as when being moved from place to place. Carried bythe main axle 2 is a scraper l having a large bowl-like portion extendedaround and upwardly above the axle, as indicated, said bowl-like portionbeing provided at its sides with suitable bearing supports upon saidaxle, whereby the axle supports the scraper and turns. therein. Mountedupon the axle and turning therewith within the sides of the scraper aretwo large sprockets, as 55, although this might be a drum or othersuitable driving member, not necessary here to be further illustrated. 6designates a supporting frame, the rear ends of which are carried by themain axle 2, with suitable bearing sup ports between the outsides of thescraper and the wheels, while its forward end is carried upon smallerwheels, as 77 at the sides thereof, as indicated, with a roller 8mounted therehetween to mash and level the dirt before it is picked upin the scraper, thereby causing the dirt to move into the scraper as auniform layer and also serving to prevent rocks or large objects fromgetting into the scraper and clogging the elevator mechanism. 7

Mounted to move upon the inclined portion of the supporting frame 6, isan endless conveyer, as 10, provided with buckets, as 11. This conveyeris preferably made of a wide flexible belt-like member, turning over adrum, or as I have here illustrated, provided at its edges with sprocketchains adapted to move over the sprockets 55 upon the axle 2 and up overthe smaller sprockets 9 upon the upper end of the supporting frame 6.The buckets 11 will be constructed of such material as will support thedirt between the sprockets 5-5 and be adapted to pick up the layer ofdirt moving into the scraper and carry it around within the bowl-likeportion of the scraper which is extended sufficiently high to insure thedirt being landed upon the inclined portion of the conveyer and carriedup over the upper end of the frame and discharged into the wagon. Thebuckets are attached to the belt at the upper edge of the back thereofso that as the bucket turns around the upper end of the frame, the rearof the bucket is moved slightly forward, as indicated by the bucket inFig. 1 which has just made the turn, whereby this movement operates tofacilitate the discharge of'the dirt therefrom.

In order to regulate the depth of earth to be picked up by the scraper,or the thickness of the layer to be picked up, I provide a pair ofsupporting arms, as 1212, attached thereto and adapted to be raised andlowered by means of hand-screw wheels, as 13--13, whereby to determinethe depth of earth to be picked up. Thus I am able to pick up a thinlayer of earth and keep it moving continuously up into the wagon withthe same horse power used to draw the wagon, or I can dip the point ofthe scraper down and pick up a thicker layer of earth and add anadditional horse, or additional horses to the rear of the loader toassist in moving it along behind the wagon in a manner hereinafterreferred to.

The scraper is flared outwardly at both sides, as seen in Fig. 2,whereby to scrape a width equal to the width of the entire loader andpermit the wheels to run on a level surface, and whereby in scraping upa street to get it ready for paving, the scraper will scrape right up tothe curb.

It is intended that the'traction wheels shall be of such size and weightthat as the machine is moved forwardly, its own weight will operate todrive the conveyer belt and continue the movement of the layer of earthinto the scraper and up around the inside wall of the bowl-portion ofthe scraper and up the incline and over into the wagon, in a continuousmanner.

In the rear of the loader, I provide attaching means for either a pairof shafts or a tongue, as at 15, whereby one or more horses can behitched to said loader to move and operate it from the rear, the animalsbeing hitched to the free ends of the shafts or tongue so as to face theloader and push it before them as they move along behind the wagon beingloaded, in a manner which will be well understood without furtherillustration or description.

I am aware that changes in the construction and arrangement here showncan be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and I donot, therefore, limit the invention to the showing here made forpurposes of illustration.

I claim:

1. A dirt loader of the character referred to comprising carrier wheelswith a carrier axletherebetween and adapted to turn therewith whenmoving forwardly, a scraper with bowl-like portion supported to saidaxle with its scraper portion extended forwardly thereof, a carrierframe, supported rearwardly upon said axle between the sides of saidscraper and wheels and forwardly upon carrier wheels, an endlessconveyer mounted to travel upon said carrier frame and dipping into saidscraper, means upon said axle for driving said conveyer, and

means for moving said loader along behind a wagon or other vehicle to beloaded.

2. A dirt loader comprising a pair of carrier wheels with axletherebetween and turning therewith when moving forwardly, a scraper witha bowl-like portion supported to said axle with its scraper portionextended forwardly of said axle, a carrier frame, supported rearwardlyupon said axle between the sides of said scraper and said wheels andforwardly upon carrier wheels, a pair of adjusting supports from saidframe to the forward portion of the scraper whereby to regulate thedepth of earth picked up by said scraper, an endless conveyer mounted totravel upon said frame and dipping into the bowl portion of saidscraper, and means for hitching to said loader whereby to move it alongafter the wagon to be loaded.

3. In a dirt loader, the combination of carrier wheels with axletherebetween and adapted to turn therewith, a scraper with bowl likeport-ion supported to said axle with its scraper portion extendedforwardly thereof, a frame, supported rearwardly upon said axle andhaving forward supporting legs; an endless conveyer mounted to travelupon said frame and dipping into said scraper, means upon said axle fordriving said conveyer, a roller mounted between the forward supportinglegs of said frame in front of said scraper, and means for hitching tosaid loader.

4. In combination with a dirt loader having a scraper and an elevatordipping into said scraper whereby to scrape uplthe dirt and elevate it,a roller mounted in front of said scraper and extending across the mouththereof whereby to mash and level the dirt before it is picked up bysaid scraper.

5. In a dirt loader, the combination with the scraper, elevator dippingthereinto and driving mechanism therefor, of means for regulating andholding the forward end of said scraper to regulate the depth of dirtgathered, means for coupling said loader to the wagon to be loaded, andhitching means in the rear of said loader whereby horses hitched theretowill push it in front of them and behind the wagon being loaded.

6. A dirt loader of the character referred to comprising in combination,tract-ion wheels with axle therebetween, means for locking said wheelsto said axle, a scraper with bowl-like port-ion carried upon said axlewith the scraper portion extended forwardly of said traction wheels, asupporting frame supported rearwardly upon said axle and forwardly withsupporting legs and carrier wheels, a roller mounted to turn betweensaid supporting legs in front of said scraper, a traveling conveyermounted to travel upon said frame and dipping into the scraper,supporting means between said frame and the scraper mouth and means foradjusting and holding said scraper at vari ous depths, means forcoupling said loader to the wagon to be loaded, and hitching meansrearwardly of said scraper whereby to push said loader along behind thewagon to be loaded, substantially as shown and described.

Signed at Portland, Oregon, this 7th day of March, 1911.

WILLIAM R. LITZENBERG. In presence of- F. E. LITZENBERG, W. A. BURKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

